Title Update 6 for EA SPORTS FC 24 becomes a Christmas update. The developer continues to tweak the gameplay and brings new, old players to FUT – but is he also giving the fans a present?
Almost a whole month has passed without a patch, but now EA SPORTS has returned to the game. Title Update 6 is officially the “Christmas Update” and is intended to get FC 24 in shape for the holidays. To this end, the developer is making a total of 36 tweaks – the most notable adjustments are to gameplay and Football Ultimate Team (FUT).
First of all, EA SPORTS wants to “reduce overcrowding in midfield”. Professionals in these positions should “cover less aggressively” after the patch release. The publisher is “convinced that this will lead to more passing moves and more creativity in the center”. Recently, FC 24 – also in professional eSports – has often seen flank-heavy play to match the meta. In future, more goals will probably be scored or initiated through the middle again.
More offensive full-backs, less pressure on the touchline
At the same time, the virtual professionals in the full-back position will be higher and more offensive. According to EA SPORTS, this will contribute to the increasing authenticity of defensive three- or five-man chains. The full-backs will still “run back to intervene in the defense” – but at a slower pace. After the Christmas update, they will be “more attack-oriented”.
The reduced pressure on the touchline could benefit them. “Offensive professionals will have more space to break free and additional passing options,” the patch notes state. EA SPORTS is also reducing the speed of movement and positioning of goalkeepers. The digital keepers will also soon “remain in their last position for a short time” after manual control. This should make it easier for attackers to exploit the goalkeeper’s positional errors.
The maximum speed of the characters in controlled sprints will also be reduced to create “even more authentic speed”. The major gameplay innovations are rounded off by adjustments to the two PlayStyles “Cut-off shot” and “Cut-off shot+” as well as “Power header” and “Power header+”. EA SPORTS reduces the corresponding precision in each case.
Among the gameplay fixes, one point in particular is likely to attract interest within the community: The developer seems to be fixing the kick-off glitch. At the very least, a problem is listed in which “the defending team did not always follow the running paths of the attackers appropriately after the kick-off”.
Ramos receives FUT card – Kobel new face
In FUT, the new content stands out: A total of 94 player items will be added. However, not directly after the Christmas patch, but via a subsequent squad update. The new additions include well-known professionals such as Santi Cazorla, Adama Traoré and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The return of Sergio Ramos, whose cards have usually been extremely popular in the past, also represents a real little gift
The aforementioned Traoré will soon receive a special Moments item, while AC Milan’s Ismael Bennacer is set to appear as a Radioactive item. In addition to the cards, 108 updated Starheads will also be included in FC 24 – 102 for players, six for coaches. Among others, the virtual likenesses of BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and PSG coach Luis Enrique will be updated. The Starheads require a further server update, which is scheduled for shortly after the Christmas update.
EA SPORTS sticks to the visuals in the patch notes: The main menu will be presented in a “wintry atmosphere” in Title Update 6. December will bring a “change of season with snow, new cold breath effects and pros in winter jerseys”. In January, the developer will then bring “rainy weather”. Finally, it was announced that Diogo Jota’s triangle cheer based on the FC logo will be added to the game The Christmas update for FC 24 will be released “shortly”.